And a couple hours after the union's press conference, the CEO, Chandra Cansino, held a one-person conference of her own to address some of the issues that were raised.
While the union gave the hospital's Board, Management, and the Ministry of Health straight "F's" on their performance, Cansino explained that the KHMHA has been trying its best to procure the supplies, but that hasn't always been easy. She told us that the subsidy they receive from the government is barely able to keep them afloat, and while the ministry was facing some tender delays, they have just started receiving some of the supplies.
Still, she said that this press conference by the union came out of left field.
Chandra Cansino, Chief Executive Officer, K.H.M.H.
"This is how it work, right. We get a subvention from the ministry every month, it's about 2.4 million dollars. Of that, about two point two or two point one, it depends on the month, goes straight to pay salaries. So what we are left with is a very small amount of money for the operations. However, as an authority, we are also obligated to access our own resources which is what we do by billing, by collections to try to get the money that we need to run the hospital."
"We are now left with the responsibility to collect enough to be able to run the institution and that is where we are challenged. Nevertheless, we are grateful to our supplies who give us credit lines and, you know, we owe. We are going and as we go along, we have suppliers that work with us. So we purchase these items and not all the time we get enough notice to know well, this is the last that we will give you of this item. So we do run into situations where items run out before we purchase, and I guess that's what the district hospitals would encounter as well. When we do know and we do find the items here in the country, we purchase them. Again, a lot of these items are imported into the country by these tenders and suppliers, and so they are not easily available. Some of the medications you need special licenses and so they are not easily available. Oftentimes, we reach out to our partners, other district hospitals, "You have any of this? Lend us that. Patient need this…" Even the private institutions, you know, they are extremely supportive and assist us where possible. I know for sure that over the past week, last week actually and this week, we have been receiving a lot more supplies. So it seems that that waiting period for this bulk of supplies that we have been waiting for is now coming to an end. We have had discussions with general concerns or we have members on the board that are from the ministry of health and wellness, we have members on the board that are from ministry of finance and so we are always finding solutions to the problems, but certainly nothing of this sort of magnitude has been brought up to the board."
But will those supplies be enough to offset the challenges that the staff is currently facing?
Those in the union felt as though Cansino - and the other members of the board - weren't making enough of an effort to understand their plight, but she explained that she is completely aware and sympathetic towards them.
But where supplies are concerned, there's only so much they can do.
Reporter
"They alluded to you not being fully aware of some of the struggles they have to endure. One of them even said that you should take a walk around the wards to see what they are dealing with. Do you feel like you are not fully aware or out of the loop?"
Chandra Cansino, Chief Executive Officer, K.H.M.H.
"I walk this hospital in to in, I know every nook and cranny in this hospital. I know what space is available, I know where you could push somebody to sit down, I know every part of this hospital. So that was a totally disingenuous invitation that was offered to me. The director of nursing always on the wards. In fact, sometimes I can't find her in her office, because she is always down there. The director of medicine always in the operating room, always on the wards. The director of operations, he is always downstairs with his staff, so I don't know where that came from and that is totally untrue."
Reporter
"How can you operate adequately with these persistent shortages, because we've been hearing, the last time I spoke to you, the time before that and as matter of fact if you look at the MOU that was signed in 2015 it speaks of shortages. How can the KHMH operate like this? Should you go to the ministry and request an increase in your subvention. I'm imagining you are having to deal with an increase in population as well."
Chandra Cansino, Chief Executive Officer, K.H.M.H.
"Yes, we have an increase in everything, because even the supplies that we use to purchase last year or the year before are sometimes doubling in price. So, again I was very disappointed to hear them say that management is not doing anything. Mr. Baird is on the board, he's well aware that I am working on a document to present to the ministry requesting an increase in the subvention. That takes a lot of time, that takes a lot of research and that is something we are working on. Those things are very important to the institution. I mean fine, if they want to give us an F minus, but maybe they could upgrade us to a D knowing that at least we are making every effort to try to get the resources that we need to run the institution."
Reporter
"You do not deny that your nurses, your attendants have to go into their pockets to buy such things as gloves and their own tape to do their job."
Chandra Cansino, Chief Executive Officer, K.H.M.H.
"If that is what they say they do, I would never say they are lying. But I don't see them purchasing."
Reporter
"That is happening, but those should be complaints that should be coming to you."
Chandra Cansino, Chief Executive Officer, K.H.M.H.
"Yes, they have told us that several times before. I spoke to one nurse in particular who showed me the tape that they purchased. We do purchase tape, we do get tape from central supplies but it's not always good quality and so sometimes that is another reason that prompts them to go and purchase for their patients, because they want to. If they are so passionate about it, then they can let us know and perhaps we can reimburse them for the tape that they have purchased, but in fact one spell we purchased all the tape that brodies had, but like I said its not something that you can just go to the super market and buy and it is a tendered item."
Cansino added that what they can fix, they're working on, including the leaking roof which she stressed is NOT on the verge of collapsing.
She also emphasized that she hopes the board and the union can continue to have open communication and an amicable relationship.
